Abstract Abstract Readers of general literature will know that in recent years considerable attention has been diverted to enquiries concerning the stability of the British coast line, a general fear having seized the nation that the sea was bent on swallowing up the little island which had for centuries claimed the proud privilege of ruling that element. There were instances enough of encroachment to cause alarm, the most notable perhaps being that of Dunwich, a prosperous town of 40,00 in-habitants, between Southwold andAldeburgh, on the coast of Suffolk, which had been swallowed up whole, while numerous minor cases constantly occurred along the friable cliffs of the east and south coasts. The general alarm led to the appointment in :1906 of a Royal Commission, which enquired into the whole question, and happily came to the conclusion that such erosion as was proceeding was balanced by natural reclamation, and the net result was that the British Isles today covered as much dry land on the earth's surface as they had ever been known to do. As this report issued only in May of last year, after an exhaustive el)quiry lasting five years, we may accept it as convincing and put aside our fears. But whatever general comfort it may bring there is much room left for local and individual disquietude among those whose lands are actually disappearing, since they are not likely to be comforted by the knowledge that those of their neighbours are growing. The resistless Atlantic Ocean completed its work of destruction in prehistoric times, so that now the west coast of Ireland, the north coast of Scotland, and south-west coast of England have nothing more to give up and are standing fairly secure behind cliffs of granite and other unassailable rocks. But the east and south coast generally (excluding Scotland, which in its rocks as in all else remains stem and rugged) are of friable material, and so are in many situations unable to resist the assaults of the waves. What is taking place along this line of coast is therefore attracting much attention, and as the latest contribution to the discussion there is a Paper issued by the Institution of Civil Engineers, London, in which most interesting and valuable information may be found.